Every time I see someone buying a toxic bottle of weed-killer, I think back to when I was in third grade. Mrs. Smith somberly told us that DDT had leached into the water supply, and birds like the bald eagle ingested fish that were basically poison filled. The poison thinned out the eggshells, making them brittle, thereby fast-tracking the bald eagle to an endangered species. DDT had only been banned about 6 years before that time, so it was a ‘progressive’ move at the time. DDT, unfortunately, is STILL used in other parts of the world.
Here’s some useful info I have found online to help gardeners ward off pest, and enjoy an all-natural garden this spring/summer.
1. For garden pests, make a mixture of 1 tablespoon liquid dishwashing soap and 1 cup of cooking oil. Mix about 3 tablespoons of this concentrate with a quart of water in a pump bottle and spray on plants.
Another recipe for insect control: soak citrus rind (lemon, orange, grapefruit) in water for a few days. Pour the water into a pump bottle and spray on plants.
2. Sprinkle cayenne pepper around plants to keep cats away.
3. Plant peppermint around your house. It repels ants and mice.
4. Cinnamon sprinkled around your planter box will keep ants out.
5 Weeds are not really pests, but they can be really pesky! Hot water will kill most unwanted plants –just boil some water and pour it over the plant you want to kill.
